Adjusting layout size of hyperlink

ABSTRACT

Adjusting the layout size of a hyperlink includes displaying at least one hyperlink in a user interface; detecting a touch operation for the at least one hyperlink, and extracting position coordinates of a touch point formed by the touch operation on the user interface. Adjusting the layout size further includes determining a target hyperlink from the at least one hyperlink, and determining the precision of the touch operation with respect to the target hyperlink based on the position coordinates of the touch point; and adjusting layout size of the target hyperlink based on the determined precision. The hyperlink layout in a web page can be adapted to the touch precision of user&#39;s finger automatically, which facilitates the recognition of hyperlinks by the user&#39;s finger.

BACKGROUND

The present invention relates to adjustment of user interface (UI)layout, and more specifically, to an apparatus and method for adjustinglayout size of a hyperlink in a UI.

At present, big touch screens bring users great experience in surfing oninternet and handling daily affairs by using various mobile devices. TheUI displayed on touch screens permits finger direct manipulation ofapplication objects or website links (hyperlinks) in a browser. However,in the UI displayed in the touch screen of a mobile device, manyhyperlinks are close to each other, which makes user's selectionoperation difficult. For example, the height of the hyperlinks in abrowser is relatively fixed, and normally smaller than the contact areaof a finger. Because the contact area of a finger is relatively largewhen it touches a screen, it is difficult to determine which hyperlinkis being selected. A hyperlink may not be triggered if the fingercontact area does not accurately touch the area of the hyperlink. Also,there are some scenarios, in which a user may be in a bumped bus, or inwalking, or the batter power is near off, which will lower thesensitivity of the finger touching a hyperlink and lead to the toucharea less accurate. Therefore, an improved method for enhancing theprecision of a finger touching a screen is needed.

SUMMARY

Some embodiments employ a self-adaptive scheme to dynamically adjust andoptimize the layout of a UI, and thus to improve the precision of user'stouching operation and user's web-browsing experience.

According to embodiments, there is provided an apparatus for adjustinglayout size of a hyperlink, comprising: a display unit configured todisplay at least one hyperlink in a user interface (UI); a detectionunit configured to detect a touch operation for the at least onehyperlink, and extract position coordinates of a touch point formed bythe touch operation on the UI; a computing unit configured to determinea target hyperlink from the at least one hyperlink, and determine theprecision of the touch operation for the target hyperlink based on theposition coordinates of the touch point; and an adjusting unitconfigured to adjust layout size of the target hyperlink based on thedetermined precision.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

Through the more detailed description of some embodiments of the presentinvention in the accompanying drawings, the above and other targets,features and advantages of the present invention will become moreapparent, wherein the same reference generally refers to the samecomponents in the embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary computer system 100 which is applicable toimplement the embodiments of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of an apparatus 200 for adjusting thelayout size of a hyperlink according to one embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a layout of two hyperlinksaccording to one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram of the representation of the precisionaccording to the one embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of an apparatus 500 for adjusting thelayout size of a hyperlink according to another embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIGS. 6(a) and 6(b) illustrates a scenario in which the adjusted sizeparameters of the hyperlink are applied in the entire web page;

FIG. 7 is a flow chart illustrating a method for adjusting the layoutsize of a hyperlink according to one embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 8 is another flow chart illustrating a method for adjusting thelayout size of a hyperlink according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Some preferable embodiments will be described in more detail withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which the preferableembodiments of the present invention have been illustrated. However, thepresent invention may be implemented in various manners, and thus shouldnot be construed to be limited to the embodiments disclosed herein. Onthe contrary, those embodiments are provided for the thorough andcomplete understanding of the present invention, and completelyconveying the scope of the present invention to those skilled in theart.

The main idea of the invention is that whenever the user starts tobrowse the web pages, the hyperlink layout in web page willautomatically adapt to the user's finger touch precision and thus easilybe recognized by the finger. To achieve this, the mobile equipment mayautomatically gather the coordinates of a position of a contact areaformed by the user's finger touch in the screen, e.g. a central-pointposition of the contact area, analyze user's touch precision, adjust thesize of the hyperlink in the web page layout in real time, and timelyupdate it accompanying with user's touch operations.

FIG. 1 shows an exemplary computer system 100 which is applicable toimplement the embodiments of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 1,the computer system 100 may include: CPU (Central Process Unit) 101, RAM(Random Access Memory) 102, ROM (Read Only Memory) 103, System Bus 104,Hard Drive Controller 105, Keyboard Controller 106, Serial InterfaceController 107, Parallel Interface Controller 108, Display Controller109, Hard Drive 110, Keyboard 111, Serial Peripheral Equipment 112,Parallel Peripheral Equipment 113 and Display 114. Among above devices,CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, Hard Drive Controller 105, KeyboardController 106, Serial Interface Controller 107, Parallel InterfaceController 108 and Display Controller 109 are coupled to the System Bus104. Hard Drive 110 is coupled to Hard Drive Controller 105. Keyboard111 is coupled to Keyboard Controller 106. Serial Peripheral Equipment112 is coupled to Serial Interface Controller 107. Parallel PeripheralEquipment 113 is coupled to Parallel Interface Controller 108. And,Display 114 is coupled to Display Controller 109. It should beunderstood that the structure as shown in FIG. 1 is only for theexemplary purpose rather than any limitation to the present invention.In some cases, some devices may be added to or removed from the computersystem 100 based on specific situations.

As will be appreciated by one skilled in the art, aspects of the presentinvention may be embodied as a system, method or computer programproduct. Accordingly, aspects of the present invention may take the formof an entirely hardware embodiment, an entirely software embodiment(including firmware, resident software, micro-code, etc.) or anembodiment combining software and hardware aspects that may allgenerally be referred to herein as a “circuit,” “module” or “system.”Furthermore, aspects of the present invention may take the form of acomputer program product embodied in one or more computer readablemedium(s) having computer readable program code embodied thereon.

Any combination of one or more computer readable medium(s) may beutilized. The computer readable medium may be a computer readable signalmedium or a computer readable storage medium. A computer readablestorage medium may be, for example, but not limited to, an electronic,magnetic, optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system,apparatus, or device, or any suitable combination of the foregoing. Morespecific examples (a non-exhaustive list) of the computer readablestorage medium would include the following: an electrical connectionhaving one or more wires, a portable computer diskette, a hard disk, arandom access memory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), an erasableprogrammable read-only memory (EPROM or Flash memory), an optical fiber,a portable compact disc read-only memory (CD-ROM), an optical storagedevice, a magnetic storage device, or any suitable combination of theforegoing. In the context of this document, a computer readable storagemedium may be any tangible medium that can contain, or store a programfor use by or in connection with an instruction execution system,apparatus, or device.

A computer readable signal medium may include a propagated data signalwith computer readable program code embodied therein, for example, inbaseband or as part of a carrier wave. Such a propagated signal may takeany of a variety of forms, including, but not limited to,electro-magnetic, optical, or any suitable combination thereof. Acomputer readable signal medium may be any computer readable medium thatis not a computer readable storage medium and that can communicate,propagate, or transport a program for use by or in connection with aninstruction execution system, apparatus, or device.

Program code embodied on a computer readable medium may be transmittedusing any appropriate medium, including but not limited to wireless,wireline, optical fiber cable, RF, etc., or any suitable combination ofthe foregoing.

Computer program code for carrying out operations for aspects of thepresent invention may be written in any combination of one or moreprogramming languages, including an object oriented programming languagesuch as Java, Smalltalk, C++ or the like and conventional proceduralprogramming languages, such as the “C” programming language or similarprogramming languages. The program code may execute entirely on theuser's computer, partly on the user's computer, as a stand-alonesoftware package, partly on the user's computer and partly on a remotecomputer or entirely on the remote computer or server. In the latterscenario, the remote computer may be connected to the user's computerthrough any type of network, including a local area network (LAN) or awide area network (WAN), or the connection may be made to an externalcomputer (for example, through the Internet using an Internet ServiceProvider).

Aspects of the present invention are described below with reference toflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams of methods, apparatus(systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of theinvention. It will be understood that each block of the flowchartillustrations and/or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in theflowchart illustrations and/or block diagrams, can be implemented bycomputer program instructions. These computer program instructions maybe provided to a processor of a general purpose computer, specialpurpose computer, or other programmable data processing apparatus toproduce a machine, such that the instructions, which execute via theprocessor of the computer or other programmable data processingapparatus, create means for implementing the functions/acts specified inthe flowchart and/or block diagram block or blocks.

These computer program instructions may also be stored in a computerreadable medium that can direct a computer, other programmable dataprocessing apparatus, or other devices to function in a particularmanner, such that the instructions stored in the computer readablemedium produce an article of manufacture including instructions whichimplement the function/act specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

The computer program instructions may also be loaded onto a computer,other programmable data processing apparatus, or other devices to causea series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, otherprogrammable apparatus or other devices to produce a computerimplemented process such that the instructions which execute on thecomputer or other programmable apparatus provide processes forimplementing the functions/acts specified in the flowchart and/or blockdiagram block or blocks.

FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of apparatus 200 for adjusting the layoutsize of a hyperlink according to one embodiment of the invention.

As shown in FIG. 2, the apparatus 200 for adjusting the layout size of ahyperlink according to one embodiment of the invention comprises adisplay unit 202, a detection unit 204, a computing unit 206, and anadjusting unit 208. The above mentioned display unit 202, detection unit204, computing unit 206, and adjusting unit 208 may be coupled togetherthrough a bus system 210. According to an embodiment of the presentinvention, the display unit 202 may be realized for example by thedisplay 144 as shown in FIG. 1; the detection unit 204 may be realizedfor example by CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, etc. as shown in FIG. 1, andsoftware codes executed thereby or stored therein; the computing unit206 may be realized for example by CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, etc. asshown in FIG. 1, and software codes executed thereby or stored therein;the adjusting unit 208 may also be realized for example by CPU 101, RAM102, ROM 103, etc. as shown in FIG. 1, and software codes executedthereby or stored therein.

The structures and number of the above respective units do not limit thescope of the present invention. According to one embodiment of thepresent invention, the above mentioned display unit 202, detection unit204, computing unit 206, and adjusting unit 208 may be combined into asingle unit to perform and realize respective functions and operations.Alternatively, each of the above mentioned display unit 202, detectionunit 204, computing unit 206, and adjusting unit 208 may be furtherdivided into smaller units to realize their respective functions andoperations.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the display unit202 as shown in FIG. 2 displays at least one hyperlink in a UI. Forexample, a UI such as IE browser is displayed in the display unit 202,and one or more hyperlink patterns are shown in the UI. In a case ofdisplaying multiple hyperlink patterns, those hyperlink patterns may bearranged together, for example, from top to bottom (or vice versa), orfrom left to right (or vice versa).

In particular, in a case that a user opens a web page using a webbrowser of a mobile equipment, the web browser of the mobile equipmentdownloads and parses the web page. The web browser of the mobileequipment may access the web layout adjustment parameter which may bepersisted in a configuration file or a local database. These parametersinclude the size of hyperlink fonts, the line space between hyperlinklines, and horizontal or vertical space between touchable UI elements.These parameters would affect user's touch precision. The web browser ofthe mobile equipment adjusts the fonts or line spaces of the currenthyperlink (simply referred to as layout size of a hyperlink hereinafter)with the accessed adjustment parameter based on the web page parsingresult, and displays or updates the web page with the adjusted layout.

FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating a layout of two hyperlinksaccording to one embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG.3, numeral references 305 and 306 represent two hyperlinks arrangedtogether, wherein the line 301 represents the center position (centerline) of the hyperlink 306, the line 302 represents an edge line of thehyperlink 306, the distance from the line 302 to the center line of thehyperlink 306 is represented by Yb, the line 303 represents a middleline which has the same distance to the center lines of the twohyperlinks 305 and 306, and the distance from the line 303 to the centerposition 301 is represented by Ym. Numeral reference 304 (mark “X”)represents the position of the finger touching the screen, and thedistance between the position 304 and the center position 302 isrepresented by Yt.

As the user's finger touches a hyperlink displayed in the UI, thedetection unit 204 as shown in FIG. 2 detects a touch operation for atleast one hyperlink (e.g. hyperlink 306), and extracts the coordinatesof the position of the touch point 304 formed by the touch operation onthe UI. The computing unit 206 determines a target hyperlink (e.g. thehyperlink 306, which represents the hyperlink user intends to touch)among at least one hyperlinks (e.g. the hyperlinks 305 and 306), anddetermines the operation precision of the touch operation with respectto the target hyperlink (e.g. the hyperlink 306) based on thecoordinates of the position of the touch point 304. According to oneembodiment of the present invention, among the two adjacent hyperlinks(the at least one hyperlink), if the distance from the position of thetouch point to the center position of one of the two hyperlinks issmaller than half of the distance between the respective centerpositions of the two hyperlinks, the one hyperlink the distance fromwhich to the touch point is smaller among the two hyperlinks isdetermined as the target hyperlink. For example, among the two adjacenthyperlinks 305 and 306, if the distance from the position of touch point304 to the center position 301 of the hyperlink 306 is smaller than halfof the distance between the respective center positions of the twohyperlinks, i.e. Ym, the hyperlink 306 of which center position 301 isnearer to the middle line 303 is determined as the target hyperlink.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the abovementioned target hyperlink may also be determined as follows. When onlyone single hyperlink exists in the entire UI, or when some singlehyperlink is relatively far from other hyperlinks in the entire UI, itmay be determined whether the distance from the position of the touchpoint of the user's finger on the UI to the center position of thesingle hyperlink is smaller than a certain range (a predeterminedthreshold). If the distance between the position of the touch point andthe center point of the single hyperlink is smaller than a certainrange, it is determined that this single hyperlink is the abovementioned target hyperlink. If the distance between the position of thetouch point and the center point of the single hyperlink is larger thana certain range, i.e. the precision of the touch operation is low, itmay be considered that this touch operation of the user is not for thesingle hyperlink on the UI, and this hyperlink is not determined as theabove mentioned target hyperlink. According to another embodiment of thepresent invention, when only one hyperlink exists on the entire UI, thisone hyperlink may be directly determined as the above mentionedhyperlink without the above described determination process. In otherwords, when there is only one hyperlink, it may be determined whetherthis hyperlink may be regarded as the target hyperlink of the embodimentof the present invention.

The adjusting unit 208 increases or decreases the layout size of thetarget hyperlink based on the determined precision. For example,according to one embodiment of the present invention, when the distanceYt from the touch point 304 to the center position 301 is larger thanYb, the precision of the touch operation is considered to be low, andthe adjusting unit 208 may increase the height of the hyperlink 306. Onthe other hand, when the distance Yt from the touch point 304 to thecenter position 301 is smaller than or equal to Yb, the precision of thetouch operation is considered to be high, and the adjusting unit 208 maydecrease the height of the hyperlink 306.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the computing unit206 may determine an average precision of multiple touch operations onthe target hyperlink based on the coordinates of the positions ofmultiple touch points formed by multiple continuous touch operationsduring a latest time period. For example, the computing unit 206 maydetermine an average precision of 5 touch operations on the targethyperlink (e.g. the hyperlink 306) based on the coordinates of thepositions of 5 touch points formed by 5 most recent continuous touchoperations. The number of touch operations does not limit the scope ofthe present invention. The number of touch operations may be 1, 2, 3, 4or any number larger than 5.

FIG. 4 is a schematic diagram illustrating the representation of theprecision according to one embodiment of the present invention.

There are many manners for the representation of the “precision” of thetouch operation, and there are various embodiments of the methods forcalculating the precision. In the embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, thereare two hyperlinks 410 and 411. Line 401 is the center line of hyperlink410, and line 402 is the center line of hyperlink 411. Line 409 is themiddle line between the two hyperlinks 410 and 411. Reference 408represents a half of the gap area between the two hyperlinks 410 and411. References 403 to 407 represent the contact areas of 5 individualtouch operations, wherein mark “X” represents touch points, whichrepresent respective target points of respective touch operations. Inthe embodiment as shown in FIG. 4, because the touch point of thecontact area 403 is located in the center line 402, the touch operation403 is considered as the most precise touch on the hyperlink 411. thecontact area 404 is also considered as a precise touch on the hyperlink411, but it is not as precise as the contact area 403. The contact areas405 to 407 fall into the gap area between the two hyperlinks 410 and411, and they are considered as imprecise touches, in other words, theprecision of the touch operations are low. In general, the nearer to thecenter position (here represented as a centerline) of a hyperlink atouch operation is, the higher the precision of the touch operation.Since the touch point of the touch area 403 falls in the center line ofthe hyperlink 410, it has the highest value of the precision P_(max).The contact area 407 has the lowest value of precision P_(min).Therefore, the relation between the values of precision of the contactareas 403 to 407 are Pmax=P₃₀₃>P₃₀₄>P₃₀₅>P₃₀₆>P₃₀₇=P_(min).

The detection unit 204 may detect the coordinates of for examplegeometrical center of the contact area formed by user's finger interalia on the UI, or detect the coordinates of a point of the contact areaformed by user's finger inter alia on the UI where the pressure appliedby the finger is the largest, and take those coordinates as the touchpoint coordinates of the touch operation. The specific implementationthat the detection unit 204 detects the touch point of the touchoperation using the contact area does not limit the scope of the presentinvention. Those skilled in the art may calculate the touch pointcoordinates of the contact area from the detected contacted area basedon any method in the prior art.

There are many manners for the representation of the “average precision”of the touch operation, and there are various embodiments of the methodsfor calculating the average precision. One embodiment is to calculatearithmetical average P_(ave) of the precision values of multiple touchoperations. Another embodiment is to calculate the possibility thattouch points fall into a hyperlink area. In other words, if the touchpoint of a touch operation falls into the hyperlink area, it isconsidered as a definite touch. On the contrary, if the touch point of atouch operation falls outside of the hyperlink area, it is considered asan indefinite touch. The average precision=(number of definitetouch)/(number of definite touch+number of indefinite touch).

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a reference valuefor precision may be set, i.e. a reference value N. Here, the larger thereference value is, the higher the precision it represents. Thereference value is experience data based on statistics or experiments,which indicates whether the current hyperlink distribution density orfont size is suitable for the current user's sensitivity for operating,e.g. user's finger size, vision, touch sensitivity and so on. If thetouch precision is lower than the threshold value N, it is needed toadjust the current hyperlink distribution density or font size, i.e. thelayout size of the current hyperlink.

Here, assuming P is used to represent the above mentioned averageprecision, the adjusting unit 208 may compare the average precision Pwith the reference value N. When P<N, i.e. when average precision P issmaller than N (i.e. the average precision of the touch operation islow), respective adjustment parameters are generated in a configurationfile or in local database for adjusting the layout size of thehyperlink, and the adjusting unit 208 increase the layout size of thetarget hyperlink by an adjustment value in a predetermined step inaccordance with the generated respective adjustment parameters.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a secondreference value M may be set, wherein M≧N, i.e. the precision of thesecond reference value M is higher than the precision of the referencevalue N. The adjusting unit 208 compares the average precision P withthe second reference value M. When P≧M, i.e. when the average precisionP is larger than the second reference value M (i.e. the averageprecision of the touch operation is high), the adjusting unit 208decreases the layout size of the target hyperlink by an adjustment valuein a predetermined step in accordance with the above adjustmentparameters.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, when N≦P<M,i.e. the value of the average precision P is located between thereference value N and the second reference value M (i.e. the averageprecision of the touch operation is suitable), the adjusting unit 208does not adjust the layout size of the target hyperlink.

The adjustment value in a predetermined step refers to the adjustmentsize made to the layout of the target hyperlink each time, which may beset by those skilled in the art based on specific needs of the system orapparatus. For example, according to one embodiment of the presentinvention, the larger the difference between the average precision P andthe reference value N is, the larger the predetermined step may be set;on the contrary, the smaller the difference between the averageprecision P and the reference value N is, the smaller the predeterminedstep may be set. On the other hand, the larger the difference betweenthe average precision P and the second reference value M is, the largerthe predetermined step may be set; on the contrary, the smaller thedifference between the average precision P and the second referencevalue M is, the smaller the predetermined step may be set.

FIG. 5 illustrates a block diagram of apparatus 500 for adjusting thelayout size of a hyperlink according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the apparatus 500 for adjusting the layout size of ahyperlink according to one embodiment of the present invention differsfrom the apparatus 200 for adjusting the layout size of a hyperlink inthat the apparatus 500 further comprises a storage unit 510 and a readunit 512. According to one embodiment of the present invention, theabove storage unit 510 may be realized by one or more of CPU 101, RAM102, ROM 103, hard disk drive controller 105, hard disk drive 110 and soon as shown in FIG. 1. The above read unit 512 may be realized by one ormore of CPU 101, RAM 102, ROM 103, hard disk drive controller 105,keyboard controller 106, series interface controller 107, parallelinterface controller 108 and so on as show in FIG. 1.

A database and/or configuration file for adjustment parameters foradjusting web layout is stored in the storage unit 510. Each time theadjustment is made or the adjustment is finished, the storage unit 510stores or updates the data of adjustment size (e.g. the adjustmentparameters) into the above mentioned configuration file and/or database.In one embodiment, once the data of adjustment size is updated, thestorage unit 510 may selectively delete previously stored data, sincethe data is obtained based on previous adjustment size.

It is also possible to store or update the universal resource locator(URL) of the target hyperlink and corresponding adjustment parametersindicating the adjustment value of the adjusted predetermined step inthe database and/or configuration file. According to one embodiment ofthe present invention, when the adjusting unit 208 compares the averageprecision P with the reference value N and/or the second reference valueM, and it is determined to increase or decrease the size of the targethyperlink by a adjustment value in a predetermined step, the storageunit 510 under the control of a control unit (for example but notlimited to hard disk drive controller 105) store the URL of the targethyperlink and its corresponding adjustment parameters in the databaseand/or configuration file, or update the URL of the target hyperlink andits corresponding adjustment parameters persisted in the database and/orconfiguration file into the latest determined URL of the targethyperlink and its corresponding adjustment parameters.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, when a user startsfor example a web browser in a display unit of a mobile equipment, a webpage is opened in the UI of the browser, and the read unit 512 as shownin FIG. 5 recognizes the URL of the target hyperlink displayed in theweb page of the UI. If the URL of the target hyperlink displayed in theUI matches the URL of the target hyperlink previously stored in thedatabase and/or configuration file, the read unit 512 reads out theadjustment parameters stored correspondingly with the URL of thedisplayed target hyperlink from the database and/or configuration file,and the adjusting unit 208 adjusts the layout size of the targethyperlink based on the read adjustment parameters.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, it is alsopossible to apply the adjustment parameters of the target hyperlink intoother hyperlinks, in other words, the stored adjustment parameters ofcorresponding target hyperlink may be applied to all web pages of theentire website, a specific web page, or a specific area of a web page.For example, it is possible to display a layout size with the same sizefor all the hyperlinks of some website, or to display a layout size withthe same size for all the hyperlinks of some web page. It is alsopossible to display the layout size of hyperlinks with the same size ina certain area, for example a densely distributed area.

In other words, the detection unit 204 of the apparatus according to oneembodiment of the present invention may detect the URL of each hyperlinkin the web page displayed in the display unit 202, and retrieves theadjustment parameters of the previous operations stored in the databaseand/or configuration file. When it is determined that the currentdisplayed URL and the previously displayed URL are the same URL, theadjustment parameters of the previous operation stored in the databaseand/or configuration file are searched. The adjusting unit 208 adjustsand displays each hyperlink in the web page using previously stored orupdated an adjustment parameters to provide quicker display and betteruser experience.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the storage unit510 may store or update the identifier URL of the target hyperlink andcorresponding adjustment parameters indicating the adjustment value ofthe adjusted predetermined step in the database and/or configurationfile, or the storage unit 510 may store only the adjustment parametersin the database and/or configuration file. When hyperlinks of othersubsequent web pages are displayed in the UI in some later time, theread unit 512 may read out the stored adjustment parameters from thedatabase and/or configuration file, and adjust the layout size of atleast one hyperlink subsequently displayed in the UI based on theadjustment parameters.

FIG. 6 shows a scenario in which the adjustment parameters of theadjusted hyperlink are applied in the entire web page.

As shown in FIG. 6, FIG. 6(a) shows the layout distribution of thehyperlinks of the web pages before the layout size is adjusted. It maybe seen that the hyperlinks are very close to each other, and the fontsize of each hyperlink is very small. FIG. 6(b) shows the layoutdistribution of the hyperlinks of the web pages after the layout size isadjusted. It may be seen that the distance between respective hyperlinksare increased. Here, of course, the font size of each hyperlink may beincreased at the same time.

The following table shows the possible storage states of the databaseand/or configuration file for web layout adjustment parameters in a casethat consistent adjustment parameters are employed for the entirewebsite.

Website adjustment parameters www.site1.com DeltaFontSize: 1DeltaLinkSpaceSize: 2 www.site2.com DeltaFontSize: 2 DeltaLinkSpaceSize:3

In a case of employing such a configuration, it is needed to updatedatabase records for the website in the storage unit 510, and the readunit 512 needs to access the database records for the website persistedin the storage unit 510.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the precision of atouch operation may also be represented by a distance from thecoordinate of the touch point of this touch operation to the centerposition of the target hyperlink, and the average precision may also berepresented by arithmetic average of the distances from multiple touchpoint positions of multiple touch operations to the center position ofthe target hyperlink. The smaller the distance from the touch pointposition to the center position of the target hyperlink is, the higherthe (average) precision is.

For example, according to one embodiment of the present invention, thecomputing unit 206, based on the position coordinates of multiple touchpoints formed by multiple continuous touch operations during a latesttime period, calculates the average distance Yt from those touch pointsto the center position of the target hyperlink (here, the distance Ytfrom the touch point 304 to the center position 301 as shown in FIG. 3may be assumed as the calculated average distance). According to oneembodiment of the present invention, it is possible to configure amonotone decreasing function of the average distance Yt (one example isinverse proportional function) as the average precision of those touchoperations with respect to the target hyperlink. The above mentionedmonotone decreasing function for representing average precision does notlimit the scope of the present invention, rather those skilled in theart may represent the average precision by any prior art method.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a threshold valueYa1 may be set, as shown in FIG. 3, where Ya1≦Yb. According to oneembodiment of the present invention, the distance from the edge line 302of the target hyperlink 306 to the center position 301 is represented byYb. The adjusting unit 208 compares the average distance Yt with thethreshold value Ya1, and when Ya1<Yt, the layout size of the targethyperlink 306 is increased by an adjustment value ΔA in a predeterminedstep.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, the adjustmentunit 208 compares the average distance Yt with the threshold value Ya1and the distance Yb, respectively. When Yb<Yt, the adjustment unit 208increases the layout size of the target hyperlink by an adjustment valueΔA1 in a first predetermined step, and when Ya1<Yt≦Yb, the adjustmentunit 208 increases the layout size of the target hyperlink by anadjustment value ΔA2 in a second predetermined step, where ΔA2<ΔA1. Inother words, when Ya1<Yt, the larger the difference between the averagedistance Yt and the threshold Ya1 is, the larger the predetermined stepΔA is.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, two thresholdvalues may be set, i.e. the threshold value Ya1 and the second thresholdvalue Ya2, as shown in FIG. 3, where Ya2≦Ya1≦Yb. According to oneembodiment of the present invention, the adjusting unit 208 compares theaverage distance Yt with the second threshold value Ya2, and whenYt≦Ya2, the size of the target hyperlink is decreased by an adjustmentvalue ΔA3 in a third predetermined step. That is, if the precision ofthe touch operation of user's finger is high, it is possible to restorethe enlarged layout size of the target hyperlink according to previousoperations back to its original size step by step. According to anotherembodiment of the present invention, when Yt≦Ya2, the larger thedifference between the average distance Yt and the second thresholdvalue Ya2 is, the larger the adjustment value ΔA3 in the thirdpredetermined step is. The values of the above first predetermined stepΔA1, the second predetermined step ΔA2, and the third predetermined stepΔA3 do not limit the scope of the present invention, rather thoseskilled in the art may set the same value or different values for themaccording to the practical requirements.

As described above, the adjustment to the layout size of a hyperlink bythe apparatus 200 and the apparatus 500 according to embodiments of thepresent invention may be made step by step, in other words, the aboveoperations of the display unit 202, the detection unit 204, thecomputing unit 206, the adjusting unit 208, and so on may be repeatedconstantly. When the display unit 202 displays at least one hyperlink ina UI, the detection unit 204 detects touch operations for the at leastone hyperlink, and extracts position coordinates of a touch point formedby the touch operation on the UI. The computing unit 206 determines atarget hyperlink from the at least one hyperlinks, and determines theprecision of the touch operation on the target hyperlink based on theposition coordinates of the touch points. The adjusting unit 208increases (decreases) the layout size of the target hyperlink based onthe determined precision. After the above operations are finished, thedetection unit 204 would continue to detect touch operations for thetarget hyperlink in real time, and the computing unit 206, based on theposition coordinates of the most recently detected touch points,determines the average precision of those most recent touch operationson the target hyperlink. If a further adjustment is needed again afterthe calculated most recent average precision is compared with itscorresponding threshold value, the adjusting unit 208 continues toincrease (or decrease) the layout size of the target hyperlink based onthe most recently determined average precision until a preset conditionis satisfied. According to one embodiment of the present invention, theabove present condition may be that, when performing an increasingadjustment, the (average) precision P is made larger than or equal tothe predetermined threshold value N, or the average distance Yt from thetouch point coordinates of multiple touch operations to the centerposition of the target hyperlink is made smaller than threshold valueYa1; and when performing a decreasing adjustment, the size of the targethyperlink is restored to its original size. The above configuration ofthe preset condition does not limit the scope of the present invention,and those skilled in the art may configure the conditions according topractical requirements.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart illustrating a method for adjusting the layoutsize of a hyperlink according to one embodiment of the presentinvention.

As shown in FIG. 7, the method for adjusting the layout size of ahyperlink according to one embodiment of the present invention comprisesprocedures S701, S702, S703, and S704. In S701, at least one hyperlinkis displayed in a UI. In S702, a touch operation with respect to the atleast one hyperlink is detected, and the position coordinates of a touchpoint formed by the touch operation on the UI are extracted. In S703, atarget hyperlink is determined from the at least one hyperlink, and theprecision of the touch operation for the target hyperlink is determinedbased on the position coordinates of the touch point. In S704, thelayout size of the target hyperlink is increased or decreased based onthe determined precision.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the above S701 maybe performed by the display unit 202, the S702 may be performed by thedetection unit 204, the S703 may be performed by the computing unit 206,and the S704 may be performed by the adjusting unit 208. The performingunits and performing order of the above procedures do not limit thescope of the present invention. The above individual units may becombined into one single unit, or the above individual units may performthe above procedures simultaneously or in a different order incooperation with each other.

FIG. 8 is another flowchart of a method for adjusting the layout size ofa hyperlink according to one embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 8, the method comprises procedures S801, S802, S803,S804 and S805. In S801, based on position coordinates of multiple touchpoints formed by multiple continuous touch operations during a latesttime period, an average precision of those touch operations for a targethyperlink is determined. In S802, the average precision P is comparedwith a reference value N. When it is determined that P<N in S802, theprocedure proceeds to S803; otherwise, the procedure proceeds to S804.In S803, the layout size of the target hyperlink is increased by anadjustment value in a predetermined step, wherein P and N are positivevalues. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the aboveS801, S802 and S803 may be repeated to make the average precision P≧N.

In S804, when it is determined in S802 that P is not smaller than N, theaverage precision P is further compared with the second reference valueM, where M≧N, and M is also a positive value. When it is determined inS804 that P≧M, the procedure proceeds to S805. In S805, the layout sizeof the target hyperlink is decreased by an adjustment value in apredetermined step. When it is determined in S804 that P<M, and it isdetermined that there are no other adjustment parameters in the databaseand/or configuration file of web layout adjustment parameters, theprocedure is ended. According to one embodiment of the presentinvention, the above procedures may be repeated to make the layout sizeof the target hyperlink restore to its original size.

The above S801 may be performed by the computing unit 206, and the S802,S803, S804 and S805 may be performed by the adjusting unit 208. Theperforming units and performing order of the above procedures do notlimit the scope of the present invention. The above individual units maybe combined into one single unit, or the above individual units mayperform the above procedures simultaneously or in a different order incooperation with each other.

S804 and S805 are inverse adjustment procedures. S805 decreases theadjustment size increased previously, and restores the layout of the UIto approach the original web layout, which may correct someover-adjustments after continuous enlargement processes. It is suitablefor some scenarios, for example, when the user stops walking or theoperating environment becomes stable, the average precision of the touchoperations increases to a level enough to restore the original dense UIlayout of the web page. Or, when the user replaces the battery with onecharged, the screen becomes bright, and thus the average precision ofthe touch operations increases to a level enough to restore the originaldense UI layout of the web page. All these scenarios are suitable forthe above inverse adjustment procedures.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the larger thedifference between the average precision P and the reference value N is,or the larger the difference between the average precision P and thesecond reference value M is, the larger the determined predeterminedstep may be.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, after the abovesteps S803 and S805, the method may further comprises that the storageunit 510 stores or updates the identifier URL of the target hyperlinkand its corresponding adjustment parameters in the database and/orconfiguration file.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method mayfurther comprise that the reading unit 512 identifies the URL of thetarget hyperlink displayed in the display step 701, and if the URL ofthe target hyperlink matches the URL stored in the database and/orconfiguration file, the reading unit 512 reads the adjustment parameterscorresponding to the URL of the target hyperlink from the databaseand/or configuration file; and the adjusting unit 208 adjusts the layoutsize of the target hyperlink based on the adjustment parameters.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method mayfurther comprise: storing the adjustment parameters in the databaseand/or configuration file, and adjusting the layout size of at least onehyperlink subsequently displayed in the UI based on the storedadjustment parameters.

As for the determination method for the target hyperlink, according toone embodiment of the present invention, assuming that the at least onehyperlink comprises two adjacent hyperlinks, the determination method isas follows: if the distance from the touch point position of the touchoperation to the center position of one of the two hyperlinks is smallerthan a half of the distance between the respective center positions ofthe two hyperlinks, one hyperlink of the two hyperlinks which is nearerto the touch point position is determined as the target hyperlink.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method mayfurther comprise: based on the position coordinates of multiple touchpoints formed by multiple continuous touch operations during a latesttime period, calculating the average distance Yt from those touch pointsto the center position of the target hyperlink, and configuring amonotone decreasing function of the average distance Yt (one example isinverse proportional function) as the average precision of those touchoperations with respect to the target hyperlink. The aboveconfigurations, such as using a monotone decreasing function of theaverage distance Yt to represent the average precision of these touchoperations with respect to the target hyperlink, do not limit the scopeof the present invention, rather those skilled in the art may representthe (average) precision by any method in the prior art.

According to the above embodiments of the present invention, assumingthat the distance between the edge line of the target hyperlink and itscenter position is represented by Yb, the method according to thepresent invention may further comprise: comparing the average distanceYt with the threshold value Ya1, and when Ya1<Yt, increasing the layoutsize of the target hyperlink by an adjustment value in a predeterminedstep, where Ya1≦Yb.

According to the above embodiments of the present invention, the methodmay further comprise: when it is determined that Yb<Yt, increasing thelayout size of the target hyperlink by an adjustment value ΔA1 in afirst predetermined step, and when it is determined that Ya1<Yt≦Yb,increasing the layout size of the target hyperlink by an adjustmentvalue ΔA2 in a second predetermined step, where ΔA2<ΔA1. That is,according to one embodiment of the present invention, the larger thedifference between the average distance Yt and the threshold value Ya1is, the larger the predetermined step for adjustment is. According tothe above embodiments of the present invention, the above procedures maybe repeated to make the average distance Yt≦Ya1.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, the method mayfurther comprises: comparing the average distance Y1 with the secondthreshold value Ya2, and when Yt≦Ya2, decreasing the layout size of thetarget hyperlink by an adjustment value ΔA3 in a third predeterminedstep, where Ya2≦Ya1. According to one embodiment of the presentinvention, the larger the distance between the average distance Yt andthe second threshold Ya2 is, the larger the third predetermined step is.According to this embodiment, the procedures may be repeated to make thelayout size of the target hyperlink restore its original size.

The benefits brought by the invention are as follows. Different usersdemonstrate different finger sensitivity when browsing and touching thesame web page based on his/her finger dimensions, eyesight or otherphysiology characteristic. With this method, the web page UI layout maybe adjusted automatically according to a specific user's fingersensitivity in a self-adaptive manner. This increases user's touchprecision and enhance the user experience. When a user uses mobileequipments in some specific scenarios, e.g. in a bumped bus, in walking,or battery power near off, it could lower the finger sensitivity ontouching a hyperlink. The apparatus and method according to the presentinvention may adjust the web UI layout based on the user's current touchprecision, and finally increase the touch precision. Also the inverseadjustment may restore the original UI layout when user's touchprecision increases accompanying with the operating environmentimproved. Some web pages are not well designed for various sizes ofmobile touch screens. In some screens, display effect may not be goodenough due to densely distributed hyperlinks. The method according tothe present invention may optimize the display to facilitate the usersto use different touch screen sizes.

The flowchart and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate thearchitecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementationsof systems, methods and computer program products according to variousembodiments of the present invention. In this regard, each block in theflowchart or block diagrams may represent a module, segment, or portionof code, which comprises one or more executable instructions forimplementing the specified logical function(s). It should also be notedthat, in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in theblock may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, twoblocks shown in succession may, in fact, be executed substantiallyconcurrently, or the blocks may sometimes be executed in the reverseorder, depending upon the functionality involved. It will also be notedthat each block of the block diagrams and/or flowchart illustration, andcombinations of blocks in the block diagrams and/or flowchartillustration, may be implemented by special purpose hardware-basedsystems that perform the specified functions or acts, or combinations ofspecial purpose hardware and computer instructions.

The descriptions of the various embodiments of the present inventionhave been presented for purposes of illustration, but are not intendedto be exhaustive or limited to the embodiments disclosed. Manymodifications and variations will be apparent to those of ordinary skillin the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the describedembodiments. The terminology used herein was chosen to best explain theprinciples of the embodiments, the practical application or technicalimprovement over technologies found in the marketplace, or to enableothers of ordinary skill in the art to understand the embodimentsdisclosed herein.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for adjusting layout size of ahyperlink, comprising: a memory; and a processor configured to: displayat least one hyperlink in a user interface; detect a touch operation forthe at least one hyperlink, and extract position coordinates of a touchpoint formed by the touch operation on the user interface; determine atarget hyperlink from the at least one hyperlink, and determine aprecision of the touch operation with respect to a center position ofthe target hyperlink based on the position coordinates of the touchpoint; and adjust the layout size of the target hyperlink based on thedetermined precision, wherein adjusting the layout size includesadjusting a line spacing between hyperlinks; calculate an averagedistance Yt from multiple touch points to the center position of thetarget hyperlink based on position coordinates of multiple touch pointsformed by multiple continuous touch operations during a latest timeperiod; configure a monotone decreasing function of the average distanceYt as an average precision of the multiple touch operations with respectto the target hyperlink; compare the average distance Yt with athreshold value Ya1, and when Ya1<Yt, generate an adjustment parameterfor adjusting the layout size of the target hyperlink; increase thelayout size of the target hyperlink by an adjustment value in apredetermined step, where Ya1≦Yb, wherein Yb represents a distancebetween an edge line of the target hyperlink and its center position;and when Yb<Yt, increasing the layout size of the hyperlink by anadjustment value ΔA1 in a first predetermined step, and when Ya1<Yt≦Yb,increasing the layout size of the target hyperlink by an adjustmentvalue ΔA2 in a second predetermined step, where ΔA2<ΔA1.
 2. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to determine an average precision of multiple touchoperations with respect to the center position of the target hyperlinkbased on position coordinates of multiple touch points formed bymultiple continuous touch operations during a latest time period.
 3. Theapparatus according to claim 2, wherein the processor is furtherconfigured to compare the average precision P with a reference value N,and when P<N, generate adjustment parameters for adjusting the layoutsize of the target hyperlink, and increase the layout size of the targethyperlink by an adjustment value in a predetermined step based on theadjustment parameters.
 4. The apparatus according to claim 3, whereinthe processor is further configured to compare the average precision Pwith a second reference value M, and when P>M, decrease the layout sizeof the target hyperlink by an adjustment value in a predetermined stepbased on the adjustment parameters, where M≧N.
 5. The apparatusaccording to claim 4, wherein the larger the difference between theaverage precision P and the reference value N is, or the larger thedifference between the average precision P and the second referencevalue M is, the larger the predetermined step is.
 6. The apparatusaccording to claim 3, wherein the processor stores the adjustmentparameters in a database and/or a configuration file and adjusts thelayout size of at least one hyperlink subsequently displayed in the userinterface based on the adjustment parameters.
 7. The apparatus accordingto claim 3, wherein the adjustment parameters are applied to at leastone of: all web pages of an entire website, a specific web page, and aspecific area in a web page.
 8. The apparatus according to claim 1,wherein if a distance from a touch point position to a center positionof a hyperlink is smaller than a predetermined threshold value, thehyperlink is determined as the target hyperlink.
 9. The apparatusaccording to claim 1, wherein the at least one hyperlink comprises twoadjacent hyperlinks, and if a distance from a touch point position to acenter position of one of the two hyperlinks is smaller than a half of adistance between the respective center positions of the two hyperlinks,one hyperlink of the two hyperlinks which is nearer to the touch pointis determined as the target hyperlink.
 10. The apparatus of claim 6,wherein adjusting the layout size of the target hyperlink based on thedetermined precision further includes adjusting a font size of thetarget hyperlink by a first amount, wherein the first amount isdependent on the determined precision, and wherein the adjustmentparameters include: a first adjustment parameter and a second adjustmentparameter for a first website, the first and second adjustmentparameters being based on an average precision of one or more touchoperations performed on the first website, the first adjustmentparameter being a hyperlink font size adjustment ratio for hyperlinksdisplayed on the first website and the second adjustment parameter beinga distance between hyperlinks displayed on the first website; and athird adjustment parameter and a fourth adjustment parameter for asecond website, the third and fourth adjustment parameters being basedon an average precision of one or more touch operations performed on thesecond website, the third adjustment parameter being a hyperlink fontsize adjustment ratio for hyperlinks displayed on the second website andthe fourth adjustment parameter being a distance between hyperlinksdisplayed on the second website.
 11. A computer program product foradjusting layout size of a hyperlink, the computer program productcomprising: a non-transitory computer readable storage medium havingprogram code stored thereon, the program code to: display at least onehyperlink in a user interface; detect a touch operation for the at leastone hyperlink; extract position coordinates of a touch point formed bythe touch operation on the user interface; determine a target hyperlinkfrom the at least one hyperlink; determine a precision of the touchoperation with respect to a center position of the target hyperlinkbased on the position coordinates of the touch point; adjust the layoutsize of the target hyperlink based on the determined precision, whereinadjusting the layout size includes adjusting the font size of the targethyperlink; calculate an average distance Yt from multiple touch pointsto the center position of the target hyperlink based on positioncoordinates of multiple touch points formed by multiple continuous touchoperations during a latest time period; configure a monotone decreasingfunction of the average distance Yt as an average precision of themultiple touch operations with respect to the target hyperlink; comparethe average distance Yt with a threshold value Ya1, and when Ya1<Yt,generate an adjustment parameter for adjusting the layout size of thetarget hyperlink; increase the layout size of the target hyperlink by anadjustment value in a predetermined step, where Ya1≦Yb, wherein Ybrepresents a distance between an edge line of the target hyperlink andits center position; when Yb<Yt, increase the layout size of thehyperlink by an adjustment value ΔA1 in a first predetermined step, andwhen Ya1<Yt≦Yb, increase the layout size of the hyperlink by anadjustment value ΔA2 in a second predetermined step, where ΔA2<ΔA1. 12.The computer program product according to claim 11, wherein the programcode further comprises program code to determine an average precision ofmultiple touch operations with respect to the center position of thetarget hyperlink based on position coordinates of multiple touch pointsformed by the multiple touch operations during a latest time period. 13.The computer program product according to claim 12, wherein the programcode further comprises program code to compare the average precision Pwith a reference value N, and when P<N, generate adjustment parametersfor adjustment of the layout size of the target hyperlink, and increasethe layout size of the target hyperlink by an adjustment value in apredetermined step based on the adjustment parameters.
 14. The computerprogram product according to claim 13, wherein the program code furthercomprises program code to compare the average precision P with a secondreference value M, and when P≧M, decrease the layout size of the targethyperlink by an adjustment value in a predetermined step based on theadjustment parameters, where M≧N.
 15. The computer program productaccording to claim 14, wherein the program code further comprisesprogram code to, wherein the larger difference between the averageprecision P and the reference value N is, or the larger the differencebetween the average precision P and the second reference value M is, thelarger the predetermined step is.
 16. The computer program productaccording to claim 13, wherein the program code further compromisesprogram code to store the adjustment parameters in a database and/or aconfiguration file, and adjust the layout size of at least one hyperlinksubsequently displayed in the user interface based on the storedadjustment parameters.
 17. The computer program product according toclaim 13, wherein the adjustment parameters are applied to at least oneof: all web pages of an entire website, a specific web page, and aspecific area in a web page.
 18. The computer program product accordingto claim 11, wherein the program code further comprises program code todetermine a hyperlink as the target hyperlink if a distance from aposition of the touch point to a center position of the hyperlink issmaller than a predetermined threshold value.
 19. The computer programproduct according to claim 11, wherein the at least one hyperlinkcomprises two adjacent hyperlinks, and wherein the program code furthercomprises program code to determine one hyperlink of the two hyperlinkswhich is nearer to a position of the touch point as the target hyperlinkif a distance from the position of the touch point to a center positionof one of the two hyperlinks is smaller than a half of a distancebetween the respective center positions of the two hyperlinks.